Psychotherapy and Fertility

At Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC), psychotherapy is one option we provide our patients as part of our suite of complementary medicine services. Although having a therapist is fairly normal in a town like Los Angeles, fertility specialists are finding that psychotherapy may be very helpful to patients and their partners who are trying to conceive.

The Mind-Body Connection

You probably have heard people talking about the “mind-body connection” for years, but have not actively thought about what that really means in relation to your current situation. Quite simply, your mental condition has a profound effect on your physical condition. This might seem pretty obvious, but it has only been in the last couple of decades that doctors and researchers have realized the extent of this effect.

Stress and Fertility

It is well known that women who suffer from undue emotional stress have an increased chance of having a miscarriage; women trying to conceive may also have more difficulty getting pregnant if they are prone to stress. Psychological stress is damaging to the body in many ways, but how does it affect fertility? Well, we know that stress wreaks havoc with your body’s hormones. If you are anxious and upset, your cortisol and adrenalin levels tend to skyrocket. These hormones are precursors to estrogens and progesterone, which of course directly impact fertility. At SCRC, our fertility specialists are keenly aware of this, so we do everything we can to assist couples dealing with high stress levels.

Couples facing fertility problems experience stress for many reasons; the frustration of trying and trying to conceive, feelings of inadequacy, and heightened tension and arguments that further strain the relationship are all commonplace.

Psychotherapy provides valuable support during a vulnerable time

Psychotherapy provides both the woman and her partner a safe and supportive environment to discuss their concerns. The psychotherapist can help the couple identify counterproductive thought and behavior patterns and offer therapeutic interventions to deal with them.

Who are the psychotherapists SCRC uses?

The fertility doctors at SCRC work with a small, select group of fully-accredited, licensed psychotherapists. These therapists are often either licensed MFTs (marriage and family therapists) or clinical psychologists, who hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. The therapists may be able to see you in their private offices or at the offices of SCRC’s Los Angeles fertility clinics. Click here to read “The Emotional Rollercoaster,” a great article written by one of our most popular psychotherapists, Jennifer Yates, MFT.

Psychotherapy as part of a comprehensive infertility treatment plan

Psychotherapy is just one component of the integrated fertility treatment plan that SCRC will help develop for you. The foundation of the plan consists of using the most innovative and advanced techniques available in modern infertility treatment. SCRC’s fertility specialists then bolster that foundation by adding a variety of complementary medicine options, including psychotherapy. This comprehensive approach gives you the highest standard of care available, which leads to improved results.

How do I find out if psychotherapy might be the right choice for me?

Call SCRC at 866-477-9982 to speak to us. One of our friendly fertility consultants will be delighted to explain more about how psychotherapy with an SCRC-affiliated therapist may be able to make the path to parenthood a little bit smoother. We can also schedule a consultation for you with an SCRC fertility specialist as the first step in the process. Booking an appointment online is also very easy to do: just click here to contact us.click here to contact us.